Okay guys I had the question about the Skylon Deafcon composite material a week or so ago and am now curious for some input re: the new "chrome plated" aluminum speakers from monster. I like the idea of an aluminum can and the finish is definatley hot but what are the long term durability issues with a plated finish? I know monster tower was in on my last thread and I'm sure this was adressed before release so I'd like to hear what I could expect from this finish.

Also does anyone have any experience with chrome plated aluminum in the marine enviornment with any other products? Thanks everyone.

What do you mean by "marine environment"? There is a huge range of environments that fit that general description... My "marine environment" is a fresh water, dry environment where the speakers are only on the boat when I am out boating, otherwise they are in a garage cabinet. On the other extreme there are commercial boats running in salt-water. Chrome and salt present some challenges requiring a little more maintanance with polishing and waxing. Anodized aluminum may perform better then chrome in certain situations.

Mikeski-I am wanting to know about any and all marine enviornments understanding fully that the word covers many different environments. I am also aware that anodized cans are probably one of the best choices for overall wear in any environment (especially a salt water marine environment) but have yet to see a clear anodized can that replicates the new plated finish from monster. It is my understanding that anodizing a polished piece of aluminum tends to take away some of the mirror or chrome like finish.

JC- I know that monster will be able to address my questions but I am looking for a second opinion from someone who isn't the manufacturer. Thats why I've posted this up here was to see what other's experiences have been... Thanks though.

Anodized aluminum is OK but powder coating will protect from the UV's of the sun better. I'll go out on a limb here and say that the the best metal in ALL marine environments is likely to be Stainless Steel. That's not to say that ALL S/S's are good either. Some grades are not well suited for a marine environment....salt or fresh water. Yes, NVS offers S/S polished cans...shhhhh!

Designing for the wakeboarding market is very different from designing for the offshore commercial vessel marekt. Many parts on all boats (cleats, rings, eyelets, snaps, etc) are chrome plated. Durable finish.

Anodized is always great for marine use, but not all mfg methods result in a part that can be anodized. That's a major reason we went to chrome at a higer cost.

Powder coat is lower cost, and another great marine finish.

Composite is lowest cost but with big tooling costs. Durability is hugely impacted by material selection but most do really well in marine service.